Report Title:

Osteoporosis Prevention

 

Description:

Establishes an osteoporosis prevention and treatment education program within the University of Hawaii to be operated with private funding.

THE SENATE

S.B. NO.

2160

TWENTY-FIRST LEGISLATURE, 2002

 

STATE OF HAWAII

 


 

A BILL FOR AN ACT

 

RELATING TO OSTEOPOROSIS.

 

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:

SECTION 1. Findings and purpose. The legislature finds that as the "Health State", Hawaii has a responsibility to educate its citizens in good health habits and prevention of disease. As our population ages, medical conditions can take a toll on health funding and other medical and social services. Osteoporosis, a bone-thinning disease can affect both sexes and contribute to hospitalization and disability. Education about proper diet, exercise, and mineral supplementation can help to prevent the increase of incidence of this disease. The purpose of this Act is to promote a privately-funded multi-pronged educational effort for all ages through as many contact points as possible, including the schools, medical community, and public services agencies. Training, screening and referral efforts, educational materials, funding, and other programs to heighten awareness of this disease are important to reduce the incidence of this silent, devastating disease.

SECTION 2. The State may allow a privately-funded osteoporosis prevention and treatment education program, operated by the University of Hawaii medical complex at Kakaako, providing that the University does not use general funds otherwise allocated to the University, but shall restrict the funding of the program to private contributions and to federal funding, if any, as described in section 3(h).

SECTION 3. The osteoporosis prevention and treatment education program is established within the University of Hawaii.

OSTEOPOROSIS PREVENTION AND TREATMENT EDUCATION

(a) Definitions. As used in this section, unless the context clearly requires otherwise:

"University" means the University of Hawaii medical complex at Kakaako.

"Program" means the osteoporosis prevention and treatment education program established in this section.

(b) Findings and purposes. The legislature finds the following:

(1) Osteoporosis, a bone-thinning disease, is a major public health problem that poses a threat to the health and quality of life to as many as twenty-eight million Americans;

(2) Osteoporosis causes one and one-half million fractures each year that result from osteoporosis, causing pain, disability, immobility, and social isolation, affecting quality of life and threatening people's ability to live independently;

(3) Because osteoporosis progresses silently and without sensation over many years, and many cases remain undiagnosed, its first symptom is often a fracture, typically of the hip, spine, or wrist;

(4) One of two women and one of eight men will suffer an osteoporotic fracture in their lifetime;

(5) A woman's risk of hip fracture is equal to her combined risk of breast, uterine, and ovarian cancer;

(6) The annual medical costs of osteoporosis to the health care system are estimated to be nearly $13,800,000,000, and are expected to rise to $60,000,000,000 to $80,000,000,000 by the year 2020;

(7) Since osteoporosis progresses silently and currently has no cure, prevention, early diagnosis, and treatment are key to reducing the prevalence of and devastation from this disease;

(8) Although there exists a large quantity of public information about osteoporosis, it remains inadequately disseminated and not tailored to meet the needs of specific population groups;

(9) Most people, including physicians, health care providers, and government agencies, continue to lack knowledge in the prevention, detection, and treatment of the disease;

(10) Experts in the field of osteoporosis believe that with greater awareness among medical experts, service providers, and the public, osteoporosis can be prevented in the future, thereby reducing the costs of long-term care;

(11) Osteoporosis is a multi-generational issue because building strong bones during youth and preserving them during adulthood may prevent fractures in later life; and

(12) Educating the public and health care community throughout the State about this potentially devastating disease is of paramount importance and is in every respect in the public interest and to the benefit of all residents of the State of Hawaii.

(c) Purpose. The purposes of this section are to:

(1) Create and foster a multi-generational, statewide program to promote public awareness and knowledge about the causes of osteoporosis, personal risk factors, the value of prevention and early detection, and the options available for treatment;

(2) Facilitate and enhance knowledge and understanding of osteoporosis by disseminating educational materials, information about research results, services, and strategies for prevention and treatment to patients, health professionals, and the public;

(3) Provide easy access to clear, complete, and accurate osteoporosis information and referral services;

(4) Educate and train service providers, health professionals, and physicians;

(5) Heighten awareness about the prevention, detection, and treatment of osteoporosis among state and county health and human service officials, health educators, and policy makers;

(6) Promote the development of support groups for osteoporosis patients and their families and caregivers;

(7) Adequately fund these programs; and

(8) Provide lasting improvements in the delivery of osteoporosis health care, thus providing patients with an improved quality of life and society with the containment of health care costs.

(d) Osteoporosis prevention and treatment education program. The University, in cooperation with the executive office on aging, shall establish, promote, and maintain an osteoporosis prevention and treatment education program in order to raise public awareness, educate consumers, educate and train health professionals, teachers, and human service providers, and for other purposes.

(e) Public awareness. The University shall use, but is not limited to, the following strategies for raising public awareness on the causes and nature of osteoporosis, personal risk factors, value of prevention and early detection, and options for diagnosing and treating the disease:

(1) An outreach campaign utilizing print, radio, and television public service announcements, advertisements, posters, and other materials;

(2) Community forums;

(3) Health information and risk factor assessment and public events;

(4) Targeting at-risk populations;

(5) Providing reliable information to policy makers; and

(6) Distributing information through county health departments, schools, the executive office on aging, area agencies on aging, employer wellness programs, physicians, hospitals and health maintenance organizations, women's groups, nonprofit organizations, community-based organizations, and department of health regional offices.

(f) Consumer education. The University shall use, but is not limited to, the following strategies for educating consumers about risk factors, diet and exercise, diagnostic procedures and their indications for use, the risks and benefits of drug therapies currently approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration, environmental safety and injury prevention, and the availability of diagnostic, treatment, and rehabilitation services:

(1) Identify and obtain educational materials, including brochures and videotapes, which translate accurately the latest scientific information on osteoporosis in easy-to-understand terms;

(2) Build a statewide capacity to provide information and referral on all aspects of osteoporosis, including educational materials and counseling;

(3) Establish a toll-free hotline for consumers;

(4) Facilitate the development and maintenance of osteoporosis support groups; and

(5) Conduct workshops and seminars for lay audiences.

(g) Professional education. The University shall use, but is not limited to, the following strategies for educating physicians and health professionals and training community service providers on the most up-to-date, accurate scientific and medical information on osteoporosis prevention, diagnosis, and treatment, therapeutic decision-making, including guidelines for detecting and treating the disease in special populations, risks and benefits of medications, and research advances:

(1) Identify and obtain educational materials for the professional that translates the latest scientific and medical information into clinical applications;

(2) Raise awareness among physicians and other health and human services professionals as to the importance of osteoporosis prevention, early detection, treatment, and rehabilitation;

(3) Identify and use available curricula for training health and human service providers and community leaders on osteoporosis prevention, detection, and treatment;

(4) Provide workshops and seminars for in-depth professional development in the field of the care and management of the patient with osteoporosis; and

(5) Conduct statewide conferences on osteoporosis at appropriate intervals.

(h) Contributions. The University may accept grants, services, and property from the federal government, foundations, private and public organizations, medical schools, and other persons or entities as may be available for the purposes of fulfilling the obligations of this program.

SECTION 4. This Act shall take effect upon its approval.

INTRODUCED BY:

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